Accounting Clerk
Salary

Earnings for Accounting Clerks in the United States come in at around $14.69 per hour on average. Final cash compensation to Accounting Clerks varies from around $24K to approximately $43K; choice pay grades include potential for bonuses and profit sharing as high as $2K and $3K, respectively. Residence is the biggest factor affecting pay for this group, followed by tenure and the specific company. The vast majority of Accounting Clerks (86 percent) who participated in the survey are women. Health benefits are not claimed by all — nearly one-fourth lack any form of coverage — but a strong majority have medical insurance, and more than half have dental, too. Most workers in this position report high levels of job satisfaction. The data for this snapshot was collected from individuals who took PayScale's salary survey.

XTotal Pay combines base annual salary or hourly wage, bonuses, profit sharing, tips, commissions, overtime pay and other forms of cash earnings, as applicable for this job. It does not include equity (stock) compensation, cash value of retirement benefits, or the value of other non-cash benefits (e.g. healthcare).

XTotal Pay combines base annual salary or hourly wage, bonuses, profit sharing, tips, commissions, overtime pay and other forms of cash earnings, as applicable for this job. It does not include equity (stock) compensation, cash value of retirement benefits, or the value of other non-cash benefits (e.g. healthcare).

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Job Description for Accounting Clerk

Accounting clerks generally work in offices, and travel is not required for the job. They must have exceptional knowledge of all ledger accounts, such as accounts payable/receivable, cash, and many others. These clerks may work only with accounts payable/receivable, while others may coordinate various accounts for their companies, and other duties may include working with both customers and vendors.

Candidates should have excellent customer service skills and close attention to detail in order to succeed in this position. A high school diploma or GED is generally required, and those with at least an associate's degree in accounting and prior work experience may be preferred by some employers. Some companies are willing to train new clerks who have prior education, and some experienced clerks may train new ones in the same manner.

Strong computer skills, including proficiency with Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook) and accounting software, are highly beneficial. Applicants should also have interpersonal skills and excellent oral and written communication skills in order to work well on teams. The ability to meet tight deadlines is also important, as the data these clerks prepare is part of their company’s financial statements. Finally, accounting clerks must adhere to all internal audit controls, work closely with internal auditors, understand all Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP), and stay up-to-date with new accounting principles and regulations.

Accounting Clerk Tasks

Sort documents and post debits/credits to proper account .

Verify amounts and codes on various forms for accuracy.

Balance entries and make necessary corrections.

Maintain and make necessary adjustments to records and/or logs such as journals, payroll/ time reports, or property records.

Verify and reconcile simple bank statements or department records.

Common Career Paths for Accounting Clerk

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Accounting Clerks' salaries may rise greatly for those who assume a higher-end position such as an Accounting Manager. The average Accounting Manager brings home $60K per year. Going from Accounting Clerk to Staff Accountant is the transition that occurs most often in this field, where the paychecks are $43K. Many others choose to work as Accounts Payable Clerks, where pay is typically $30K.

Accounting Clerk Job Listings

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Popular Skills for Accounting Clerk

This chart shows the most popular skills for this job and what effect each skill has on pay.

Accounting Clerks seem to exploit a large range of skills on the job. Most notably, skills in Payroll Administration, Account Management, Collections, and Accounts Payable are correlated to pay that is above average, with boosts in pay of 5 percent. Most people experienced in Accounts Payable also know Data Entry and Microsoft Excel.

Pay by Experience Level for Accounting Clerk

Median of all compensation (including tips, bonus, and overtime) by years of experience.

For Accounting Clerks, experience does not seem to be a major factor in determining pay. Survey participants with less than five years' experience pocket $31K on average, but those with five to 10 years of experience enjoy a much bigger median of $33K. Accounting Clerks see a median salary of $34K after reaching one to two decades on the job. People who have worked for more than 20 years report a median income of $35K, which is barely higher than the median for folks with 10 to 20 years of experience.

Pay Difference by Location

For Accounting Clerks, San Francisco provides a pay rate that is 22 percent greater than the national average. Accounting Clerks can also look forward to large paychecks in cities like New York (+15 percent), Chicago (+14 percent), Austin (+10 percent), and San Diego (+9 percent). The lowest-paying market is Miami, which sits 11 percent below the national average. On the whole, employers pay 6 percent below the median salary for those in this field in Orlando and San Antonio.

Accounting Clerk Reviews

What is it like working as an Accounting Clerk?

Accounting Clerk in Alpharetta:

"High demand and fast paced job."

Pros: Good management, flexible and understanding of personal life. Positive environment.

Cons: Stress level at times and feeling underpaid for job duties.

Accounting Clerk in Battle Creek:

"Boring because I do not do a lot of accounting."

Pros: I like my job because I pretty much handle my own schedule.

Cons: I do not do a lot of accounting and I do not hold a good position at the credit union yet.

Accounting Clerk in Kansas City:

"Corporate culture."

Pros: The fact that I am getting older I ask God for a job that I could do by sitting down and He blessed me with it.

Cons: There is not enough communication.

Accounting Clerk in Westbrook:

"Work Flexibility, Stress Level Is Pretty Even, Office Is Not Good."

Pros: The people in other departments I like my job, I like what I do. No phone calls usually.

Cons: The office atmosphere is bad. Unfair with the pay. I feel I deserve a lot more for what I do and what I go beyond doing.